Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-03-24

mcnka But the man kept his ey,
averted, only now and then IN
In thom with kind Of black and eli
! tering iluttcr to answer some question
but never letting them touch job
Earnings face. He averred under oat
that he did not see Maun Woodma
on the evening Of her death; tha
he walked two miles west Of ths tow
and one mile north, and returned q
half-past ten o'clock by the north roa
and went directly to his room by the rca
stairs; that he often took such walks
that he met tramping stranger one
half mile west OF the mill, aud that IN
man wore n coat but no vest, and tina
after passing him tho man hailed hin
and wished TO buy his vest. and that
as 1t was an odd one, he s0id II to him
narping the amount and denomination
OF the money paid him, and giving
minute description of the man; that h,
was in his room at the time John Earl
ing claimed 10 have visited IL; that h,
was exceedingly difficult TO arous,
when sound asleep, and that he re
membcred hearing some one calling
him as In dream. Nothing could
shake him from this statement, nor wa.
any motive for the crime apparent in
The evideace. nor did it appear that tho
murdered girl and the prisoner were
in any manner connected prior 10 the
dark event; that evidence was safe In
John Earrings pocket
Then, too, scores Of Openstoners tcs-
tilted to the utterly blamclcss life he
had lived among them. but Mt the end
John Earring wished the prisoner re-
called, aad when the still man took the
witness-chair he sat down with dis
tended nostrils and blazing eyes before
him. For a long time he sat there
gazing on the prisoners avcrted eyes,
and the restless audience grew hushcd
and breathless. Still he remained mo-
tionless, gazing. silent The audience
thrilled. and at last the black eyes flut-
tered wildly up and remained gazing
into John Earnings. When they had
grown steady the young man said,
with slow, deep distinctness:
did you ever commit murder pre-
vious 10 this one?"
In an instant the prisoner started up
with his thin fingers clasping the chair
and the blood surging into his face;
the counsel for the defense objected.
the judge ruled the question out, and
John Earling said. quietly;
THAT is all" and the book-keeper
went. weak and trembling. to his seat.
But he recovered himself rs the ar
guments went forward, and he heard
the Pleading in his defense, his merits
extolled, Lis praises borne aIoH uu beds
of ilowery clauses, and all Tho beaute-
Gus, glittering. perplexing taugle of
ontrcaty, doubt subterfuge. logic,
warning. hope. imprecaticl aud
prayer, that was woven between lis
life and the twelve men who were 20
judge it.
But at the last. on the third day of the
speeches in the afternoon, John Earling
walked out before the jury. OH for
words that were blazing fire, TO scar
up and dissipate the rosy, plausible.
impalpable clouds OF doubt with which
the powerful opposing council had en-
velopel theml The great audience
leaned forward breathless and expect
ant he looked so young, so
white. so vivid, SO intense with
passion. In deep vibrating
voice that thrilled throughout the room
he began, and without touching the
evidence. brought the murder at ohce
before them. All the horror, agony,
fear. pain and terror Of the deed shone
in his voice and face and hands and
eyes. Atom by atom he illuminated it.
moment by moment unfolded it. stroke
by stroke, cash by cash. drop by drop.
breath by breath. cry by cry. until the
dead girl he hal loved splassed in the
dark water from the murdercr's reck-
ing hands and redeemed it with her
sweet young blood. Then lifting him
self rs II upon the very wings OF pas
sion. he shrieked: There sits the man
whose lepcrous heart conceived this
speechless deedl There tremble the
hands over which her sweet blood RAM
There thr9bs the brain about which
even now are wrapped the flames of
heils unimaginable rcmorsc. Let him
have jHsficer
The audience thrilled. and the prisoner
'wayed forward with his face in his
hands and shook as with an ague. Still
he terrible cleaning sentences ran on.
;rowding, thickening. flashing. ike =
rain Of bursting stars. The speaker
'eemed lifted well-nigh out OF the NOR
al by lis feelings. He pictured before
hem the crime 5 effect. with all its myr- |
al moments Of sorrow and singing |
bangs, down TO the last bitter root |
he held up before them in flaming I'M |
lgery the crimes incentive, the loath- |
omc. yenomous appetite Of this oils. |
loiselcss craven, who, 10 appease his |
turning burnings. iiend-like defaccd /
md ruined one Of Gods most beauti- |
ul creations. Then turning his white !
ace up TO Heaven. hc cried in an &C. /
iacy OF passion;
"He may escape now. but God will |
'isst him from among mcnl Ven
,cancc will find him out, for he de
'auched aud murdered Innocence!
Wrath shall take him to its Kissing
'osom! Hate shall encompass lim
.age shall cltwine himl Rcmorse
hall press upon him. Truth shall for
AXE himl Peace shall never know himl
oy shall forever leave himl Tears
nj gall aud shame shall be his por-
on. till time, and death, and fury,
hall dash and dissipatc his foul, pol
liing ashes from the bosom of abhOr-
ing Nature. for he murdered limo
1nce! be murdered Innocencel"
The prisoner. with his fingers grasped
bout bis neck, and with the Hood
esscls starding out like cords upon his
'mples, swung lower and lower under
le pitiless lash Of language. lie cow
red and writhed as If n storm Of frr
ere beating over him, and when John
ariing drew in his breath TO plunge
lcw into terrible invectiye, the weak,
morse tormented man sprang gasp
e up with bis eyes storting oui, bis
&C liyid, bis arms stretched out with
lgers working. and stumbling for
ard shrieked; "Mcrcy! nlercyl
ercyl" and fell crashing among the
lairs at John Earrings feet.
For n moment John Earling. with
8 hands stretched up, scintillated
'ove the PROSTATE man. then rising
his utmost height he shrilled ia